Blessings on Thanksgiving

 Happy Thanksgiving !

     I wanted to share this card with you on Thanksgiving Day even though I actually made it for the 30 Days of Holidays at Beccy's Place.  I know, I know, the day for alphabet letter "T" was last week, but the card turned out so magnificently that I knew I had to hold it back and post it today.  :-D

     I used Thanksgiving, Turkey, Tent card, and Tilted image piece for my "T"s.  The image is pre-colored, clip art, and before I printed the image, I edited it so that the turkey printed in gray scale while everything else was already colored.  I colored the turkey with pencils and markers.  Everything other than the turkey is the original, pre-colored image.

     The pumpkin vines background behind the image piece is another digital dp which I sized to fit a 5.5 x 5.5 inch card.  I felt like the digital dp was bright enough that no other embellishment was needed.  I think it makes a delightful masculine card even if it does feel a bit 'busy.'

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Letter "G" at 30 Days of Holidays

      My next card in the 30 Days of Holidays at Beccy's Place is for the letter "G" and I have a Thanksgiving card to share.  The image is pre-colored clip art, printed in gray scale, and colored in my own chosen colors using pencils and alcohol markers.  I added Glossy Accents to the hot chocolate cup for a bit of shine.  Fortunately, it photographed really well.  I also added glitter to the steam coming off the cocoa.

     Once colored, I cut the image with a Tonic Studios die, then matted it with a scrap of dp, also cut with a die (QuicKutz, I think.  I forgot to write it down.)  I decided to make a gate fold card and went searching through the scrap basket for papers to put on both sides of the gate.  On the left side (mostly covered by the image piece) I put Glossy Accents on the flowers.  For the right hand side, I used small rectangles of CS and put them onto the flap one above the other.

     I put glitter EP on each of those small rectangle snippets and heat embossed them.  I love the sparkle.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die, then placed at the top of the image piece. 

     Challenges:

     That's all I have for today.   So far, I'm doing pretty well at playing every day at Beccy's Place and I hope to be able to keep going for the entire month.  We'll see.  In the meantime, Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Wheel in the Blessings

      Here it is, the first Monday of November and Thanksgiving is only a couple of weeks away, at least here in the USA.  Once again, Inspiration Station has a new challenge and a new inspiration photo for you.  Find something in the photo which inspires your creative juices and enter a creation into our challenge before the end of the month.

     Here's the inspiration photo for this month: 

Here's my card.  I was inspired by the autumn colors, the pumpkin in the background, the leaves, and the overall harvest season feel.

     The image is from Jan's Digi Stamps and it was colored with a combination of Ohuhu and ProMarkers.  I cut the image using a Spellbinders rectangle die, then rounded the corners with a Fiskars punch.  The sentiment was also from Jan's Digi Stamps and is part of the set for this image.  I cut it with another die, this one from QuicKutz, then inked the edges before adding it to the image piece (which also has inked edges.)  

     The plaid paper is from a fabulous stack by DCWV, called very simply "Stack 9."  I can't even tell you how long I've had that stack but I found it when I was going through my stash of 12" x  12" papers.  It was in an overlooked plastic storage container, along with at least 4 other stacks, none of which had been touched in at least 3 years!  This one was in pristine condition with none of the papers ever having been used!   Sigh... yes, I do hoard and forget to use things.

     Note about Double Trouble  We're partnering with Double Trouble this challenge and if you do layers - at least 3 - and are inspired by our photo, you can enter both challenges!  I did 3 layers and was inspired by the photo, obviously.

     Challenges:

613 Ave Create

Di's Digi Designs

Gem of a Challenge

Inkspirational

Love Those ... Papers

Outlawz Monday

Outlawz Color

Pammie's IP

     Hope we see you playing long this month.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Day 4 - "D"

     Here we are, already four days into the 30 Days of Holidays at Beccy's Place and, so far, I've managed to make and post a card for each day.  Today we have to use things beginning with the letter "D" and I managed to compile 4 or 5 things.

     I started with two autumn themed digital images from Beccy's Place, along with a sentiment about 'pumpkin days...', and I merged all three of them into a single image for this Thanksgiving card.  I loved the warm, latte drink; lattes always make me think of fall (the only time I ever drink them.)  Fall makes me think of pumpkins, pumpkin spice, pumpkin pie, and all those things are perfect for a Thanksgiving greeting.

     The images are both pre-colored, so it was a matter of printing them, and die cutting the image with a QuicKutz die.  I found two embossing folders and dry embossed both card stock and a scrap of metallic foil.  Those became the background for the image piece.  The 'Thanksgiving ...' sentiment was printed and cut with another die, this one from Avery Elle.  I added a jute cord bow for a little dimension.

     Challenges:

613 Ave Create

Can You Handle ...?

Crafty Calendar

Di's Digi Design

Lil Patch of ...

Polkadoodles

Triple B

    Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Family Togetherness

      This is another collaboration card with my sis-in-law, Lainy.  A few weeks back, I introduced her to alcohol markers (a medium she had never used before) and her grasp of how to use them effectively came so quickly!  She is truly a fantastic colorist.  But the actual card making, layout, and design has become my end of the collaboration because she really loves the coloring more than the card making, which I love both ends of that particular crafting endeavor.  :-D

     The image on this card is clip art, printed in grayscale, and colored with Ohuhu mrkers.  I notice those are the markers she tends to grab first though I also have a wonderful array of ProMarkers and Sanjoki markers, plus a scattered few Copics.  Eventually, as the markers run dry, instead of refilling any of them, I'm shifting over to the Ohuhu markers altogether.

     I cut the image with a die from QuicKutz, then rounded the corners with a Fiskars punch.  I inked the edges of the image and layered it onto a piece of Recollections dp.  The black bow is a triple-loop bow made on my Zutter Bow-It-All and I used ribbon from Really Reasonable Ribbon.  I have two of those bow makers (version 2.0 and version 3.0) and I wouldn't give them up for anything.  

     The only place I can find them anymore is on Amazon but having both of them means that Lainy and I can get work together making some good-sized bows for the holiday wreaths we are going to make for family.  We've been going through old crafting stash and scouring local craft stores for ribbons, wreath bases (all kinds), Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas 'foliage' picks, and small decorative bits that will enhance the wreaths.

     Ok, now for a look at the card.  I'm going to use this one for a Thanksgiving card.

     Challenges:

Colorful Options

Crafting Challenge

Crafty Gals Corner

Incy Wincy

Mirtillamente

Morgan's ArtWorld

Outlawz Weds

Penny's P-C

Word Art Weds

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Thankful ?

      I think the image I used on today's card is an old one from Eureka Stamps but to tell the truth, I printed it out last year, didn't label it, and am guessing.  If I'm wrong and you know who drew this image, please let me know.  I believe in giving credit to the artists when I know who they are.

     I colored the image with Ohuhu markers and added highlights with a white gel pen.  I cut the image with a  QuicKutz die and cut the frame with a second die from that same set.  The frame is brown CS.   The background paper is dry embossed with one of my EF, but I don't remember which one.  It has a 'leather' look and feel.  I added a tiny, double layer, butterfly which had a little seed bead for the body.  Despite the butterfly, I plan to use this as a masculine card for one of my great-grandsons.

      Challenges:

Crafty Gals Corner

Creative Inspirations

Digi Choosday

Paper Funday

Paper Shelter

Passion for Markers

Simon Says Stamp

     Have yourself a great day and Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

 HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Count Your Blessings

      Sharing another Thanksgiving card today and this one was really quick and simple.  The image is clip art, printed in gray scale, and colored with markers.  What made it quick is that I had colored this image months ago but it was in a folder of images waiting to be used.

      I cut the image piece with a QuicKutz die, then cut brown CS with another QuicKutz die for the mat behind the image.  I searched the scrap basket and found those two bits of dp which originally came from a DCWV stack.  The tiny leaves on the left hand paper are heat embossed with glittery EP.  The pumpkin is fabric and was cut from a strip of ribbon pumpkins.

     Challenges:

Classic Designs

Creatalicious

Digi Choosday

Dream Valley

Jan's Digi Stamps

Outlawz Monday

Path of Positivity

Triple B

     I'll have another card to share tomorrow and even one for Thanksgiving Day.  Hope you'll stop by on those days, too.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Time for Pie

     Another of the cards I finished while I was doing the local Craft Fair on Saturday and this one will go to one of the grandkids on Thanksgiving Day.  

    The digital image was printed in reverse, colored polychromos pencils, blended with gamsol, and shading was added with alcohol markers.  I used one of my very first Spellbinders dies to cut the image, and the sentiment was cut with an Avery Elle die.  The background strip of dp was a scrap from the fall basket; the pumpkins are embossed for texture and touched with glitter for just the smallest amount of sparkle.  I hand-tied the bow using satin ribbon and called it finished.  Isn't she the sweetest little mouse ever?

     Challenges:

Can You Handle ...

Coloring w Pencils

Crafter's Cafe

Creative Moments

Cutie Pie

Inspiration Station (fall colors)

Lil Patch of ...

Outlawz SAR (Thanksgiving Pies)

Pammie's IP

     That's it for today.  Thanks for stopping by again.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Thanksgiving Bounty

      I had a fantastic day yesterday selling my cards at a rather large craft fair!  The fair has been an annual event for several years now, used as a fund raiser for one of our local private schools, but this is the first time I have participated as a vendor.  The one rule is that every vendor must be selling only hand-crafted items.   I focused primarily on Thanksgiving and Christmas cards, plus a few gift card holders, but did sell a few birthday, anniversary, thinking of you, and humorous general greeting cards.

     While I was sitting in my booth, I put together a lot of Christmas and Thanksgiving cards which I had prepared as kits (all the loose parts and pieces tucked into the envelope ready to be turned into a card) and I was just doing the final assembly phase.  But it drew people to my booth and they seemed to enjoy watching the process.

     Today (and in the upcoming week), I want to share with you some of those cards.

     This first one has a water color, clip art, image, with a merged sentiment, and it was cut with a QuicKutz die, then matted with orange, & then white, CS.  Both the striped dp and the flowers dp came from a DCWV autumn stack.

     Challenges:

     Hope you'll enjoy this and will visit again during the week to see more of them.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Thanksgiving BBQ

      Can you believe Thanksgiving is next Thursday?  Less than a week away and, since today is Friday, we're celebrating another new challenge start over at Crafty Catz.  Our theme is always "Anything Goes" but we offer you an OPTIONAL theme if you want to use it and this week that option is "3 Favorite Colors."  Purple is my all time favorite color but when combined with orange and green, that becomes my favorite fall color combo.  

     Our fun and fabulous sponsor for this week's challenge is Dr. Digi and they supplied images for the DT to use on their inspiration projects.  However, I chose to use one from my own Dr. Digi collection and it's called "BBQ Dragon."  My eldest granddaughter and I share a love of dragons and this is going to be her Thanksgiving card.

     I used Sanjoki alcohol markers to color the image, then cut it with a fancy Spellbinders die.  I added a bit of sparkle to his knife and fork and to the jousting pole (whatever it's called) with a glitter pen, and used a gold paint pen on his eyes and horns.  The background dp is from DCWV and has been in my scrap basket for quite a while. The sentiment was printed and cut with a die from Avery Elle.

     Challenges:

Creatalicious

Creative Fingers

Happy...Stampers

Outlawz Friday

Outlawz Thurs

Paper Dragonfly

Pattie's Creations

     Won't you come and play in our challenge this week?  Remember it's your choice whether or not to show off you own favorite colors, but you can always just follow the Anything Goes theme.  :-D

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

November Turkeys

      Here it is, the 14th of another month and that means we have a new challenge starting over at FarmQuest, where we always want to see something "farm or country" and this time with the specific theme of "Turkey."  What better for a November challenge than to feature the star of a Thanksgiving feast?

     The sentiment and image were printed together, then the image was colored with Sanjoki markers, and the white highlights were done using a gel pen.  The image was cut with a QuicKutz die and I used brown gauze paper for the background (DCWV.)  The double layer butterfly was in my stash of pieces cut and waiting to be used so I don't remember which die was used to cut it, but the tiny wooden bead for the body was in an old Stampin' Up package which I found when I was cleaning out and organizing a stack of drawers with old embellishments.  

     I really like the CAS look to the finished card.

     Challenges:

AAA Cards

Creative Moments

Dream Valley

Happy...Stampers

Jan's Digi Stamps

Outlawz Sunday (Thanksgiving is...near)

Pammie's IP

Simon Says Stamp

     I hope we're going to see you playing along with us this fortnight.  Show us your turkeys!   Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Turkey Time

     It's time for the next FarmQuest General Store challenge, and our themes are always "Anything Country Goes."  Yes, it has to have a 'country' look or feel but beyond that, it's anything goes.

     Since this is our Thanksgiving month here in the USA, I focused on the most traditional part of a family Thanksgiving feast, the turkey.  This turkey image is a gray-scale sketch but I used Sanjoki markers to change it to sepia-toned.  The sentiment was merged at the bottom of the image before printing.  I cut the image with a die from Tonic Studios and inked the edges with a coffee brown Sanjoki marker.

     The background dp came from a 'Calico' stack by DCWV and the colors and scattering of blossoms seemed perfect for a late fall card.  There's a small swipe of Stickles added to each tiny flower for just a hint of sparkle.  I die cut a bit of creamy burlap paper using a butterfly die from Poppy (Memory Box) and added a tiny seed bead to the center (old, old, OLD Stampin' Up stash which I found after cleaning out and reorganizing a desk drawer!) 

     Challenges:

Aud Sentiments

Dream Valley

Outlawz Monday

Pammie's IP

Poppy Stamps

Simon Says Stamp

Star Stampz

Triple B

     I have a second post going live in just a couple of minutes for the November FQ Country Christmas Challenge so be sure to check out that one, too.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Thanksgiving Wish

      I'm working on Thanksgiving cards these days, as well as Halloween and Christmas.  This adorable mouse is one of my favorite QKR Stampede images and I've used him on birthday cards, good luck cards, thinking of you cards, but I wanted to see if I could turn him into a cute Thanksgiving card and I think he's perfect!

     I colored with my Sanjoki markers, then fussy cut him with tiny scissors.  That cutting took ore time than either the coloring or putting all the pieces together to create the actual card.  :-D  I grabbed a Hero Arts die which was still lying on the craft desk and used it on a piece of orange CS.

     That die only cuts the interior part of a piece of paper (usually a rectangle 4.25" X 5.5"), not the edges, so I took my scissors again and fussy cut what is now the exterior shape of that orange piece, following the die cut bits.  I mounted the image onto it with dimensional dots, lifting the image off the background.  I found a wonderful piece of dp in an old DCWV 'Tres Chic' stack and trimmed it to size for the card front.  The sentiment was printed and fussy cut.

     Challenges:

Bastel-Traum

Classic Design

Crafty Calendar

Creatalicious

Di's Digi Designs

Dragonfly Dreams

Gem of a Challenge

Lil Patch of ...

Polkadoodles

Worldwide Crafters ...

     Thanks for visiting.  If you have time, and if you played in the September challenge at LeAnn's World 101, check out the winners post which went live today.  You could be the winner or even a Top 3!  While you're there, think about entering something into our "Anything Goes" challenge.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Windy Thanksgiving

     Welcome to another Friday and another new challenge at Crafty Catz.  Our themes are always "Anything Goes" but we also offer you the opportunity to use an optional theme, if you want to challenge yourself a bit more.  Our option this week is "Colors of Autumn."

     We're being sponsored by The Paper Shelter and they provided the fabulous set of images and backgrounds for the DT to use, called "Autumn Breeze."  For this card, I used the pre-colored image and background.  I fussy cut the image with scissors, then mounted it onto dimensional dots before layering it onto the background.  The sentiment was printed and fussy cut and I also added dimension to it.  I love the visual texture the dimension creates.

     Challenges:

Crafty Gals Corner

Creative Inspiration

Creative InspirationS

Digi Choosday

Outlawz Thurs

Outawz Colors

Paper Funday

Penny's P-C

Sweet Sketch Weds (#264 Scene)

WordArt Weds

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Thankful Scarecrow

      It's been a couple of days since I posted anything but mother nature kind of controlled our weekend what with tropical storms and earthquakes swirling around us.  Nevertheless, I got to spend time hiding in my craft room so I worked ahead on a few DT projects and then created this card, using a Mariola Budek image.  If you follow my blog (or even visit fairly often,) you know how I adore her artwork/images.

     For this one, I colored with my Sanjoki markers, then cut the image (and the frame) with QuicKutz dies.  I used my 'Linen' embossing folder on the frame CS before layering on the image piece.  I cut the printed sentiment with a die from Avery Elle, and added a frame from a scrap of the same embossed CS.

     Because I mail so many of my cards, I try to keep them flat and simple but I have been playing with different ideas for the backgrounds, also wanting some visual or textural interest in even the simplest of cards.  For this card, I dug into my stash and found burlap paper from DCWV.  I trimmed it to fit the card front, then added the image and the sentiment.  

I pulled colors from the Outlawz color challenge.

     Challenges:

Carlin's Paradise (Autumn)

Crafts Galore ...

Digi Choosday

I Love Markers

Morgan's ArtWorld

Paper Funday

Penny's P-C

Simon Says Stamp

Word Art Weds

     That's it for today.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Autumn Bird

      Nothing Christmas today, but a card for another holiday close in time, Thanksgiving.  This card features the image for the Progressive challenge at The Outlawz this month and I just thought that darling little bird looked like he was wishing either his tree still had leaves on it or that he was inside that big, warm barn instead of perched on his bare branch.  

     The background is a clip art pencil sketch and, no matter how hard I try, I simply cannot read the artist's signature. But I did leave it visible just below the sentiment piece as a way of giving proper credit.

     I colored the bird image with ProMarkers, and cut both the image and the frame using octagon dies from QuicKutz.  The sentiment piece and the tiny leaves were both cut with dies from Memory Box.  I inked the edges of the background sketch before mounting everything onto the card front.  The sentiment itself is a rubber stamp, old enough that the name of the maker has long ago peeled off.

     Challenges:

Creative Fingers

Dream Valley

Gem of a Challenge

Paper Dragonfly

     Have a wonderful second day of your weekend and Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Pumpkin Kisses

      I love the images in this set from Jan's Digi Stamps!  The set is called "Fresh from the Farm" and I've used some of the lesser image, merged together to create this image.  The sentiment is also part of the set.

     The image and the frame were each cut with a die from Spellbinders.  The "butterfly" bow was one I tied and wrapped using 1 inch grosgrain ribbon and 1/4 inch grosgrain ribbon, plus my bow maker.  The ribbons were originally white but I dyed them with ProMarkers to get the colors I wanted.  Pretty CAS card even though it looks a lot more complex.

     Challenges:

Creative Fingers

Creative Knockouts

Dream Valley

Inspiration Station (autumn colors & harvest)

Outlawz Thur Twist

Pammie's IP

Paper Funday

Word Art Weds

Your Next Stamp

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

The Cats' Thanksgiving

      I did a card about 10 days ago which triggered this sentiment.  Unfortunately, I'd already completed that card before I thought of the sentiment so that card had to stand as it was.  However, I got this new (to me) Cutz die of all the cats in a row and I decided to do one more Thanksgiving card and use the sentiment, silly as it is.  :-D

     The cats' noses and eyes were highlighted with a gel pen, and the sentiment was cut with another Cutz die.  The scrap of tree paper came from an old DCWV autumn stack but I don't remember the name of it and the front cover has long ago disappeared, so no way of checking.  The tree trunks and branches are shiny and metallic but that doesn't show all that well in the photo.  I mounted everything onto a kraft card base.  Very quick and simple.

I pulled colors from the challenge at My Favorite Things.

    Challenges:

Crafter's Cafe

Crafty Gals Corner

Creatalicious

Creative ... Uncles

Happy Li'l Stampers

Incy Wincy

Penny's Paper-Crafty

SUYP Cats

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Thanksgiving Blessings

      This morning, I'm sharing another Thanksgiving card but not one for the 30 Days of Holidays.  I'll have that one this afternoon.  This card has an image from a Jan's Digi Stamps set called "Autumn Leaves."  I'd give you a link to it but I can't seem to find it in the shop.  Sorry.  Edit: Found it! (Thanks, Donna) Click HERE to see the whole set.

     This image is the 'Spices' part of the set and I thought it had gorgeous autumn colors.  I cut the image with a Spellbinders die.  I used scraps of gold and orange CS to make the background, added glittered ribbon, and layered the die cut image on top.  The sentiment was merged with the image before printing.  I added a double loop bow with button which I 'dyed' with ProMarkers to match the colors in the card.

     Challenges:

Ally's Angels

Die Cut Divas

Happy Li'l Stampers

Incy Wincy

Inspiration Station (fall oranges and yellows)

Jan's Digi Stamps

Morgan's ArtWorld

Rabisco

     I'll see you later with another card this afternoon.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie